"I'm not proud of it" - Mike Trout expresses regret over shocking clubhouse pranks on Eric Kay during Tyler Skaggs' wrongful death trial testimony

Veteran Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout appeared in court on Tuesday for his testimony in the wrongful death civil trial by the family of former pitcher Tyler Skaggs.

Skaggs was found dead in the suburban Dallas hotel room before the Angels' four-game series against the Houston Astros in 2019. His autopsy revealed a mix of alcohol, fentanyl and oxycodone in his system at the time of his death.

Former communication director, Eric Kay, was implicated for supplying a fentanyl-laced substance that led to the former pitcher's death. Kay is serving a 22-year prison sentence for his role in Skaggs' death.

During Tuesday's testimony, Trout expressed regret over the pranks former Angels players played on Kay. According to reports, Kay used to participate in dares to fuel his drug addiction.

“I’m not proud of it,” Trout said on the pranks conducted in the clubhouse.

According to an excerpt from the Athletic, the pranks involved:

"Kay eating a popped pimple off Trout’s back, taking a 90-MPH fastball to the leg, taking a football thrown by Calhoun off the head while wearing a Philadelphia Eagles helmet, eating a bug off the clubhouse floor and shaving his eyebrows."

Angels star Mike Trout said he was unaware of Tyler Skaggs' drug use

Mike Trout admitted that he tried to help Eric Kay after he learnt about his drug addiction. The three-time MVP revealed that he offered to support Kay's rehab. Trout said he impored him to think about his children:

“‘You have two boys at home and you have to get this right.'”

While Trout revealed he knew about Kay's addiction, the Angels All-Star said he was unaware of Tyler Skaggs' addiction. Trout, who referred to his former minor league teammate as his "brother," said he was unaware Kay was supplying drugs to Skaggs or any other Angels player.

Skaggs' family is seeking $118 million in compensation for lost earnings and suffering due to his untimely death.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash